College students, faculty, administrators, and staff have long been among the nation's most stalwart champions for sustainable environmental practices. That's why our aim is for Bee Campus USA to become a national movement.

Between Campuses, Cities and Counties around the nation,​we can truly make a difference and:

Raise awareness

Enhance habitats

Celebrate achievements

Photo by: Nancy Lee Adamson

Your Bee Campus USA team

To become a Bee Campus USA affiliate, your leadership committee will be comprised of a mix of team members.

Faculty

Staff / Administrators

Students

Together, your team can apply to become a Bee Campus USA affiliate and work to implement integral programs to raise awareness, expand habitat, and celebrate gains for pollinators.

Ways to make a difference

​There are a variety of commitments for each Bee Campus USA affiliate.

Develop campus ​​habitat plan​

Host events, workshops ​​or presentations​

Sponsor ​​service-learning projects

Offer pollinator-focused curriculum​or continuing education

Educate campus​and broader community​

Annually apply for renewal​and report on previous year

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There A Model Beekeeping Ordinance?

​While having a beekeeping ordinance is not required for being a Bee City USA community, we encourage responsible beekeeping policies.

A search (at www.municode.com) through the more than 1,000 bee-related city ordinances around the country reveals a wide assortment of regulations, conditions and guidelines for urban beekeepers. These range from quite progressive and pro-beekeeping to outright prohibitions. As the importance of bees and the value of beekeeping becomes better publicized and understood, more and more cities are working to write ordinances that permit and promote responsible beekeeping. That is, beekeeping done on a scale and in a fashion that is safe, considerate of others and appropriate to areas of greater population density.

​Madison, Wisconsin, has an extremely well drafted city ordinance developed in cooperation between city officials and the local beekeeping community. It addresses hive barriers and setbacks that create safe flight patterns in dense neighborhoods. It is worth a look if your city lacks an ordinance or has one that would benefit from an update.

What About The Danger of Stings?

According to the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) in their "No Fear of Stings!" brochure, "Some people may have an allergic reaction (even some who do not know they are allergic to stings).

A very small proportion of the adult population (3%) and children (about 0.5%) are allergic to bee stings and are at risk of possible systemic reactions including anaphylactic shock. If someone experiences nausea, wheezing, or difficulty breathing following a sting, or if they are stung multiple times, they should seek immediate medical care. This is rare, but is an early systemic symptom of anaphylactic shock.

You are more at risk of being struck by lightning (about 700 fatalities per year) than dying from a bee sting. For example, in the U.S. population, only 40 people out of 310 million people die from stings in a typical year. Many of these incidents are actually from wasp or ant stings rather than native bees or honey bees. Ground-nesting yellow jacket wasps (Vespula species) are defensive around their populous nests."

To order copies of this excellent brochure produced by the Garden Taskforce of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), go to www.polinator.org/brochures.htm or download a copy here.

We encourage students, faculty, staff, and administrators across the nation to join the Bee Campus USA movement

Just as plants and pollinators have collaborated for millions of years to make the planet bloom and fruit, communities have the opportunity to join forces to sustain pollinators and the planet through more conscientious landscape management.